Follow the Curly Adventure

Two Challenges for the New Year

It is the new year. A perfect time to start a new series of challenges for the mind, body and spirit

Number one

31 yoga sessions in 31 days. AKA yoga every day

Number two

500 words a day for 31 days. You can see the my 500 words badge on the right. This project is sponsored by Jeff Goins, click the sign on the side to find out more about this inspirational project.

Yoga

It started simply last night, last year, on the 31st of december 2013. I had an idea to go to a yoga class on New Year;s day. When I checked the list at my brothers favorite studio I saw one of his favorite teachers listed. He had been telling me for the last year that I had to try her class.

The problem was the schedule said ten am. I thought it was unlikely that I would be awake at that time since New Years eve partying was soon to commence. To the astonishment of my roommates and myself, I was up at 9 am and headed out the door to yoga a little before ten.

It worked out, the class was amazing. The flow stimulated physical growth, the theming was inspirational and the energy was vibrant. It truly is something to do yoga in a room brimming with unabashed positive energy. If you are ever in Denver, I urge you to try Buffy Barfoots classes. They are incredible. There will be much more on this experience at a later time.

Mediation: An intention of joyous presence. To be one with the moment and manifest the future dedicated moment at a time.

Writing

Expression is key for inner harmony. Words are not meant to be canned or boxed up inside. It is time to unpack the voice. Self Expression is a vehicle for therapeutic change. The quote I have heard most often over the past year is, “be the change in the world that you want to see.” And now I can see the change in myself that I want to be. Yoga helping me calm my voice and aiding in its expression.

That is why I am doing the challenge. I am a fairly creative thinker. There a plethora of thoughts and ideas that float around in my head. Distraction can derail the train of my thoughts and lead to unexpressed ideas. With so much going on, I crave order, discipline, and accountability. The 500 words a day challenge will give me a structure in which to play. Play with words, play on words, interact with all of myself and speak the voice.

Part of the challenge is to free write and avoid editing. This will be beneficial for my process, because I can get caught up in the idea of using the perfect words and letting the ideas escape during the delay. It will also help with acceptance. I feel that the constant editing is a manifestation of dis-ease in my being. The instinct to self-correct, self-deprecate, and undercut my achievements are linked. To allow acceptance of the present moment in my life and in writing will not only allow me to have a more joyous presence. It will also allow cultivation of a resilient spirit, unaffected by past worries and unnerved by what is to come.

These are all the hopes. The dreams of what I hope to accomplish with these two challenges. To push myself physically while exploring the abundant denver yoga scene and speak my voice all the while. Communication is key. From the nerve receptors to the keys on this computer.

Next up for yoga: Day two of Yoga, A bikram class with my sister

Next up for writing: Exploration of reconnecting with family.

**Disclaimer, this post was written on January 1st, 2014. The posting will say January 2nd, because of the Timezone stuff on wordpress. Disregard that info, this is the first of 31 posts.